Political leaders, social activists and students have called for the immediate release of Dr Govinda KC, who was arrested on contempt of court charge on Monday.

The supporters of Dr KC said that the Supreme Court should be independent and free of all biases, and that a civilian should be allowed to express his or her voice against wrong judgments passed down by a court.

Hundreds of people assembled at Maitighar Mandala in the Capital on Tuesday to express their solidarity with Dr KC. Present among them were former prime minister and the coordinator of Naya Shakti Party-Nepal, Baburam Bhattarai; former health minister and Nepali Congress leader, Gagan Thapa; coordinator of Bibeksheel Sajha Party, Rabindra Mishra; and singer and activist, Amrit Gurung.

Addressing the assembly, Thapa challenged the authorities to arrest all people present at the gathering if the issue raised by Dr KC can really be construed as contempt of court.   “We respect the court as it has been the centre of hope in every major development that occurred in the country. But it should not take decisions at the cost of losing people’s faith in the judiciary. This protest is not intended to smear anyone or any institution. Instead, it is aimed at making the country’s judiciary more respectful,” said Thapa.

Mishra condemned the unexpected overnight arrest of Dr KC, whom he described as an “exceptional individual”.

“KC’s arrest is condemnable. The commitment he has shown to the point of sacrificing his own life for the betterment of the people is exceptional,” said Mishra.

A large number of security personnel were deployed in and around the SC premises, just a few hundreds metres away from Maitighar.